1995 - repair or replace ?

Hello -

I have a '95 GA, 3.1 V6, auto trans, 162K miles.

I'm facing approx a $1,500 repair bill for a cracked head. I'm trying to decide if it's worth repairing or if I should look for a different car.

Was wondering what the experience has been with others regarding the mileage of this type of GA. Am I pushing my luck at 162K ? or should it have many more miles left in it ?

I have maintained it well and it doesn't have any other known problems. My concern is that at 162K miles, lots of other stuff could start going wrong ..... trans, ECM, wheel bearings, . . . etc. Also, since the head is cracked, coolant has leaked into the oil. Don't know how long this has been going on, but I'm concerned about the possible damage already done to the main crank bearings.

I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks for your help !

Your best bet would to find a good used engine and have the one with the cracked head replaced especially if you are getting water in the oil. It won't be long before the bearings start to go and your $1500 will be wasted. As far as the rest of the car goes I think it is worth saving. A few dollars in repairs are a lot cheaper than a new car payment especially if you like the car. Try http://www.car-part.com to find a new engine. There are several wrecking yards in Ohio with this particular engine for sale at less than $800 of course mileage varies. Good Luck!

I agree with GTP. Replacing the engine would be a better option than repairing it. Your year GA is one of the least problematic, and should serve you for years to come without too many problems. If you like the Grand Am, later versions had many inherent problems that could rear their ugly heads, then you'd have a payment and a problem. I'd stick with the known entity and drive it til the wheels fall off.

This happened to me when I had a 3.2L 96. Not too long after I bought it. I got it repaired for almost $900. The car ran fine after that. I had over 230,000 miles on it, before someone rear ended me and the ins. co totaled it out. The only repairs made after that were an alternator and control arm. Just my experience.